smithsonian institution websites

problem

The previous websites we created for the Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage served them well in their mission to preserve and document Americana and World Culture. But after nearly a decade of service, it was high time for a redesign. The Center, along with the Folklife Festival it hosts on the National Mall each summer, and it’s record label Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, had all outgrown their old sites and needed to modernize.

solution

Working closely with the Smithsonian in-house web team, Visual Dialogue designed and developed three interrelated sites that feature the best practices of contemporary web design: responsive layouts for large monitors to smartphones, visually engaging scrolling pages, multimedia content, clear web fonts, and an easier to update modular system. In the redesign process, we also recognized the lack of effective branding for the three sites, so we developed a consistent logo system. “At a time when living culture has a profound role to play in fostering mutual understanding, I am especially proud that we are evolving globally with these new digital platforms and collaborating with partners to bring these stories of cultural diversity to light,” said Michael Atwood Mason, Director of the Center.